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Fourth Quarter 2015

A Newsletter for Gift of Hope’s Partners and Friends

THIS ISSUE A Celebration of Hope Lifesaving Partners Awards Interfaith Outreach Laura Barajas Waits Alternate type treatment for smaller usage

President/CEO J. Kevin Cmunt Director of Communications and Marketing Gregory Alford 630/758-2726 galford@giftofhope.org

IN THIS ISSUE

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Lifesaving Partners

Interfaith Outreach

Gift of Hope honored 17 dedicated people, hospitals and health systems with Lifesaving Partners Awards at a special recognition ceremony on Oct. 9.

Gift of Hope’s Interfaith Advisory Council guides the organization on religious matters as they relate to donation and serves as a resource about donation for religious communities.

Manager of Communications and Marketing Therese Michels 630/758-2603 tmichels@giftofhope.org Managing Editor Tony Sullivan 630/758-2721 tsullivan@giftofhope.org Contributors Susan Cochran 630/758-2987 scochran@giftofhope.org Renata Krzyston 630/758-2740 rkrzyston@giftofhope.org

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6 Donor Family, Recipient Meet

The Wait: Laura Barajas

Six years after receiving a lifesaving transplant, Wendie Ingle Johnson met Tasha Gatewood, the mother of the young donor who gave her life, at an emotional, first-time meeting in September.

Laura Barajas waits for the phone call that may help her overcome the health and lifestyle challenges she faces as a result of her decadeslong struggle with type 1 diabetes.

Cover:

Faced with the tragic loss of her 18-year-old daughter, Nikki Smith, Vicki Olds turned tragedy into triumph when she chose to donate Nikki’s heart to lifelong friend Tanisha Basham. Nikki’s story and the lives she saved are the centerpiece of Gift of Hope’s Lasting Legacy campaign, which seeks to boost donor authorization rates among African-Americans.

Connections provides the Gift of Hope public and professional communities with news and information about Gift of Hope, organ and tissue donation and the importance of being a registered organ and tissue donor. We encourage you to share this newsletter with your friends and associates and learn more about donation by visiting GiftofHope.org. We mail Connections to people who have expressed an interest in Gift of Hope or the topic of organ and tissue donation. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please email your request to tsullivan@giftofhope.org.

Nesha Logan 630/758-2743 nlogan@giftofhope.org Raiza Mendoza 630/758-2744 rmendoza@giftofhope.org Veronica Moreno 630/758-2799 vmoreno@giftofhope.org Diane Schmitz 630/758-2741 dschmitz@giftofhope.org Marion Shuck 630/758-2616 mshuck@giftofhope.org

Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.

Donors, Donor Families Honored at A Celebration of Hope Events Nearly 200 donor families and their friends gathered recently for two special events held to honor loved ones who became organ and tissue donors. One tribute event for donor family members whose loved ones became donors in 2014 was held Nov. 7 at Gift of Hope’s headquarters in Itasca, Ill., and a second event for Hispanic families took place Oct. 4 at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago with the entire event conducted in Spanish. At both events, attendees heard inspiring stories and testimonies that celebrate the selfless individuals who offered the gift of hope through donation so that others may live.

Connections - A Celebration of Hope

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gift of hope honors 2015 lifesaving partners 17 Individuals, Health Organizations Recognized for Commitment to Donation Gift of Hope honored 17 individuals, hospitals and health systems for outstanding achievement in addressing the critical need for organ and tissue donation in 2015 by presenting each with a Lifesaving Partners Award at a special recognition ceremony held Oct. 9 at the Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus in Oak Brook, Ill.

a bridge to educate her religious community about the Islamic perspective on organ and tissue donation.

“Our Lifesaving Partners Awards honor the ‘best of the best’ in organ and tissue donation — those people and organizations that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help make donation happen,” says Kevin Cmunt, Gift of Hope’s President/ CEO. “These are dedicated donation advocates who set the standard — and so often surpass it — in making donation possible. Through their selfless work, we give hope and life to those in need of lifesaving organ and tissue transplants.”

Award recipients were nominated by Gift of Hope staff members and selected by a review committee consisting of Gift of Hope management team members. Here are Gift of Hope’s 2015 Lifesaving Partners Award honorees: Andy Agos, MD, Medical Director, Trauma Division, NorthShore University HealthSystem – Evanston Hospital, Evanston, Ill.: Dr. Agos has been committed to saving lives through organ donation for many years. He is an outspoken advocate and was the driving force in five successful organ donation cases at Evanston Hospital in the last year, resulting in the recovery of 14 organs.

Paul Crawford, MD, Nephrologist, FMC Neomedica, Chicago: For 28 years, Dr. Crawford has worked to communicate the message of organ and tissue donation to African-American communities. He believes dialysis is a bridge to transplant, and he champions organ and tissue donation by educating his patients.

Karen Danielson, Outreach Director for the Muslim American Society of Chicago, Bridgeview, Ill.: Danielson is a member of Gift of Hope’s Interfaith Advisory Council. She has been instrumental in opening doors and opportunities for educating Gift of Hope staff about the Muslim community and has served as

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Connections - 2015 Lifesaving Partners Awards

Sara Danner (center), Transplant Financial Coordinator at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill., was honored for helping people maneuver the financial landscape as they wait for lifesaving organ transplants. Season Hammond (left), a Donation Coordinator at Gift of Hope, nominated her for the 2015 Lifesaving Partners Award. With them is Ann Coon, a family friend of Danner and mother of a multiple transplant recipient.

Sara Danner, Transplant Financial Coordinator, Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Ill.: Danner was honored for helping people maneuver the financial landscape as they wait for lifesaving organ transplants and by working beyond the hospital walls to support donation and transplantation. For example, she coordinates Memorial Transplant Service’s annual 5K Run/ Walk each September. The event raised $12,000 for Memorial’s Transplant Fund in 2014. Danner also is involved in many other outside activities to significantly advance the donation cause.

Monica Fox, Gift of Hope Advocates for Hope Volunteer and African-American Task Force Member: As a person waiting for a kidney transplant, Fox knows firsthand about the importance of organ and tissue donation. She has been a self-directed, driving force in promoting the donation message in her south suburban Chicago community since 2013. Fox has galvanized her social organization, the LINKS, and the city of Harvey, Ill., to advocate for donation.

Eric Kellogg, Mayor, Harvey, Ill.: As the chairman of Gift of Hope’s Mayors for Hope campaign, Mayor Kellogg has united his fellow mayors, clergy, business partners and community members on the important issue of organ and tissue donation and how it disproportionately impacts minority communities.

Alan Ginzburg, MD, Pulmonologist, Illinois Heart & Lung Associates, Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal, Ill.: Known to colleagues and patients as a calming presence, Dr. Ginzburg is a true advocate for organ and tissue donation.

Whether he is talking to hospital staff, Gift of Hope staff or the county coroner, Dr. Ginzburg was particularly recognized for having a genuine talent for navigating especially difficult donation cases.

Courtney Stear, OSF Constant Care eICU Team, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Ill.: Stear led her team to develop an education program to initiate a change to an electronic medical record system that allows all ICUs at OSF Saint Francis to work through the eICU to make referrals to Gift of Hope when patients meet referral criteria. The end result of her dedication has been a partnership which ensures that every opportunity for organ and tissue donation is successful.

Elizabeth Gustavsen and Nancy Davis, AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center, Hoffman Estates, Ill.: Gustavsen and Davis were recognized for being staunch advocates for organ and tissue donation in their hospital. Both women are co-chairs for the Donation Committee at St. Alexius and are designated tissue requesters and donation educators.

Jennifer Jalbert, RN, BSN, SNOR, and Gift of Hope OR Liaison, Rockford Memorial Hospital, Rockford, Ill.: Jalbert was honored for helping to build a strong relationship between Gift of Hope and Rockford Memorial Hospital in order to help make donation happen. She is a member of the hospital’s Donation Committee and has instituted mandatory donation training for all operating room staff at her hospital.

Janet Kimsey, Charge Nurse, ICU, Swedish Covenant Hospital, Chicago: Kimsey was lauded for her proactive stance on advancing donation at Swedish Covenant. She personally ensures that her nurses call in all referrals, which has produced astounding results at the hospital. Under Kimsey’s leadership, the hospital has maintained a consistent pattern of making timely donor referrals, and it has not missed a referral opportunity since 2012.

Elizabeth Gustavsen (left) and Nancy Davis (right), Nursing administrators at AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., were recognized for being strong advocates for donation in their hospital. They are co-chairs of the hospital’s Donation Committee and are designated tissue requesters and donation educators. Lisa Palmer (center), a Donation Coordinator at Gift of Hope, nominated them for the award.

LouEster Petty, Gift of Hope Advocates for Hope Volunteer and Volunteer President of the African-American Task Force: Inspired by a family member who became a donor 28 years ago, Petty quickly became active in supporting donation by becoming a Gift of Hope volunteer. She later became President of Gift of Hope’s African-American Task Force and helped to recruit more than 150 volunteers and establish seven African-American Task Force chapters in Gift of Hope’s Illinois and northwest Indiana service area. Petty also has guided organ procurement organizations throughout the country on how to form their own volunteer chapters for minority volunteers.

Lisa Kuntz, Social Worker, The University of Chicago Medicine – Comer Children’s Hospital: Kuntz was honored as a committed donation advocate who has excelled at incorporating donation into end-of-life options offered to parents and guardians.

In the most dire of circumstances and among traditionally marginalized populations, Kuntz has succeeded in making donation a real and meaningful choice for these families.

Julia Rietz, Champaign County State’s Attorney, Urbana, Ill.: Rietz has gone above and beyond to support organ and tissue donation in Champaign County. She has worked to bring donation education to the local coroner and law enforcement agencies, creating a bridge between those agencies and Gift of Hope to produce successful outcomes on many donation cases.

Troy Nelmark, Nurse Manager, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago: Nelmark overcame barriers to set up donor education programs for nurses at the VA Center and helped rewrite policies that promote organ and tissue donation referrals. He has taken ownership of the entire donation process at Jesse Brown and has inspired its Chicago-area sister facility, Hines VA, to follow suit.

Elizabeth Schupp, MD, Pulmonologist, UnityPoint Health Trinity, Rock Island, Ill.: Schupp was honored for being proactive about managing organ donors under her care.

She builds trust with donor families, and, through her compassion and empathy toward the families she interacts with, she supports the donation process to produce many successful donation outcomes.

Connections - 2015 Lifesaving Partners Awards

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Gift of Hope at Forefront of Interfaith Outreach A phrase often used at Gift of Hope is, “Organ and tissue donation transcends our differences.” It reflects that Gift of Hope’s service area is home to an extremely diverse population with donors, donor family members and transplant recipients of every ethnicity and religion, all of whom are helping each other unconditionally navigate through the complex organ and tissue donation process.

Recognizing that reality, in May 2014 Gift of Hope formed an Interfaith Advisory Council. The group includes representatives from many different religions, Bahá’ism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Sikhism and Judaism among them. The Council is charged with educating Gift of Hope staff members about how they can support families of faith throughout the donation process and guiding the organization on how it can enhance outcomes on cases where religious matters arise as obstacles to making donation happen.

Gift of Hope President/CEO Kevin Cmunt recently hosted Council members at his home for fellowship and relationshipbuilding. At that gathering, Cmunt shared a recent experience he had at an interfaith gathering in Toronto. “I realized after experiencing diverse religious traditions that there are two things that all religions have in common,” Cmunt says. “One is be kind to one another, and the other is to do good things. This simple philosophy is also what influences Gift of Hope.”

While the chief role of Council members is to guide Gift of Hope on religious matters as they relate to donation, they also serve as resources to provide outreach and education about

organ and tissue donation to their own religious communities. To that end, after months of research and under the guidance of Council member Karen Danielson, who represents Islam on the Council, Gift of Hope recently produced Saving Lives Through Organ and Tissue Donation: An Islamic Perspective, an educational brochure addressing the Muslim stance on donation (pictured right).

“The Islamic Perspective brochure will help us train Gift of Hope staff, be a resource to hospital partners and serve as a tool we can use for outreach and education in the Muslim community,” says Susan Cochran, Communications and Marketing and Interfaith Outreach Coordinator at Gift of Hope.

The brochure is available at no cost to Islamic organizations interested in educating their communities about donation. Contact Gift of Hope’s Communications Department at 630/758-2799 to obtain copies. It also can be downloaded from GiftofHope.org. Gift of Hope is currently working on a second brochure offering the Catholic perspective on donation.

It will be available in the first quarter of 2016.

Hospital Professionals Learn How Donation Turns Tragedy into Hope More than 150 hospital professionals from Gift of Hope’s Illinois and northwest Indiana service area learned how donation can transform tragedy into hope and the role they play in making that transformation happen at the organization’s annual donation education seminar for hospital professionals. The seminar, From Tragedy to Hope: Rewriting the Story, was held Oct. 29 at Gift of Hope’s headquarters in Itasca, Ill. “This year’s seminar told the start-to-finish story of the organ and tissue donation and transplantation processes and underscored the critical roles that hospital professionals play in writing — and sometimes rewriting — the donation story to help honor the donation decision and transform tragedy into hope,” says Kathleen Abhalter, Regional Manager of Hospital Development at Gift of Hope.

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Connections - Donation News

A group of donation and transplantation experts led seminar participants through the organ and tissue donation and transplantation processes chapter by chapter, from how people get on the transplant waiting list to how donor authorization is obtained to how medical and clinical professionals recover and place organs with waiting recipients. A donor family representative and a transplant recipient put a human face on donation by sharing their stories about how donation has affected their lives.

Visit the Hospital Professionals section of GiftofHope.org to download speaker presentations from the event.

Mothers Celebrate the Gift of Life at Emotional Meeting “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Six years to the day after receiving a lifesaving kidney and pancreas transplant, Wendie Ingle Johnson whispered those words into the ear of Tasha Gatewood as the two — one, the mother of a selfless organ donor, and, the other, a transplant recipient grateful for the opportunity to continue being a mother to her children — embraced at an emotional, first-time meeting on Sept. 6 at the New Beginnings Church in Peoria, Ill. In 2009, Wendie learned she needed a kidney and pancreas transplant to save her life due to the toll diabetes had taken on her organs. She was very sick when the call came bearing the promising news that a kidney and pancreas were available for transplant. “I know I should have felt joy and excitement, but what I felt was grief, especially when I discovered my donor was a 12-year-old child,” Wendie recalls.

Many hours earlier and more than 150 miles away Tasha, of Country Club Hills, Ill., was also feeling grief, a very profound and deep grief because she had to say good-bye to her son, Jarvis Pickett, in a pediatric intensive care unit at The University of Chicago Medicine. Jarvis had been playing outside with his brother and some friends when he rushed inside struggling to breathe. The young boy with the infectious smile and mischievous sense of humor suffered an asthma attack that, days later, claimed his life. After holding onto hope for as long as she could, Tasha finally let Jarvis go.

“I needed some help to make the decision to donate Jarvis’ organs,” she recalls. “It was difficult for me to accept that my son was brain-dead, and my first response to the request about organ donation was ‘no.’”

During that very challenging time, Tasha’s oldest son, Antonio, gave her clarity. “I would often say to my sons, ‘Don’t be selfish.’,” she says. “Now, Antonio was saying that to me. My ‘no’ became a ‘yes.’”

In addition to saving Wendie’s life, Jarvis saved three other lives by donating his heart, liver and right kidney.

After connecting through Gift of Hope’s Donor Family Services Department, the two mothers communicated via mail and phone, but they never met in person. Wendie made that happen on Sept. 6 by inviting Tasha and her family to attend her church to celebrate the life of Jarvis and the new life she had been given.

As Wendie entered the room where Tasha was waiting, she couldn’t hold back the tears. The two embraced as if they were lifelong friends. They both say they feel like they are family and are already planning another meeting.

New Organization Targets Financial Barriers to Transplantation A new charitable organization has been established to give people access to lifesaving organ transplants and the follow-up care they need to help them live long, healthy and productive lives. Called the Illinois Transplant Fund (ITF), the organization provides financial assistance in the form of health insurance premium support to qualified patients in need.

Most transplant programs require proof of health insurance before adding a patient to the organ transplant waiting list. ITF provides financial support for eligible transplant patients who lack the resources to pay their insurance premiums, giving them the health insurance coverage they need to be added to the transplant waiting list.

“ITF shares our view that a person’s financial status should not be a barrier to his or her ability to receive a lifesaving organ transplant,” says Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO of Gift of Hope.

“We believe transplantation decisions should be based on health status, not insurance status, and that providing health insurance premium support increases access to organ transplantation and, in doing so, saves lives.”

Established in September, ITF has set a first-year goal of providing support to 50 people who otherwise would not have access to lifesaving organ transplants. Candidates must meet certain eligibility requirements to obtain ITF funding, and financial assistance is subject to the availability of funds in the ITF funding pool. If someone is approved for support, ITF will pay his or her health insurance premiums for up to three years after a transplant.

Visit illinoistransplantfund.org or call 630/433-3900 to learn more about ITF and the application process.

Connections - Donation News

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NIKKI’S GIFT: A LASTING LEGACY Mother Saves Friend’s Life Through Daughter’s Donation

Faced with the tragic loss of her 18-year-old daughter, Nikki Smith, Vicki Olds (right) turned tragedy into triumph when she chose to donate Nikki’s heart to lifelong friend Tanisha Basham (left)..

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Connections - A Lasting Legacy

As a mother and a friend, Vicki Olds has a storehouse of love that knows no bounds. Her actions are proof of that.

Faced with unimaginable loss at the unexpected death of her daughter, 18-year-old Domonique “Nikki” Smith, in June of this year, Vicki turned tragedy into triumph when she made the decision to donate Nikki’s heart to lifelong friend Tanisha Basham.

And while Nikki’s death would serve as the physical end to her life, it was also the beginning of what would become her lasting legacy because of her decision to become an organ and tissue donor.

“Nikki was always there for anyone, especially when they needed it,” Vicki explains. “She was the absolute best friend anyone could have.”

“My daughter was on the right path,” Vicki says. “She made a difference in people’s lives, and, through her gifts, she continues to make a difference today.”

— Vicki Olds

Nikki Smith’s mother Nikki gave her mother countless reasons to be proud. She was a straight-A student, an actress, a loving friend and a cherished daughter. As a small child, she enjoyed taking her toys apart just to see how they worked. “Nikki had a passion for learning and a passion for life,” Vicki says. “She was a vibrant force wherever she went.”

A college student with a bright future ahead of her, Nikki was extraordinarily accomplished despite her young age. She was a tutor and mentor to fellow students. She spoke French fluently. She listened to Andrea Bocelli and proudly sang along in Italian at the tender age of three. And when she took to the stage herself, she brought down the house with her enthusiastic performances.

“People naturally gravitated to her wherever she went,” Vicki says. “When Nikki came into a room, people wanted to know who she was.”

More than anything, though, Nikki was a giver who made a lasting impression on everyone she met. They include the 350 friends who crowded the hospital intensive care unit to offer their prayers when Nikki stood at death’s door and the hundreds more who filled her memorial service after she lost her battle for life.

By donating her heart, Nikki Smith gave Tanisha Basham the chance to be there for her two daughters, Christeena, 12, and Ashley, 19.

“My daughter was on the right path,” Vicki says. “She made a difference in people’s lives, and, through her gifts, she continues to make a difference today.”

A Lasting Legacy Nikki’s story and the lives she saved are the centerpiece of Gift of Hope’s new Lasting Legacy campaign, which aims to boost donor authorization rates among African-Americans by showcasing the circle of donation. The campaign features poignant TV, radio, print and social media ads to inspire African-Americans to say “yes” to organ and tissue donation.

The Lasting Legacy campaign addresses the fears and misconceptions that many African-Americans have about organ and tissue donation,” explains Marion Shuck, Gift of Hope’s Manager of Community Affairs. “The campaign seeks to start the conversation about the lifesaving benefits the selfless act of becoming a donor can offer to people in need.”

Although Nikki is gone, her presence is with her mother every day. It’s in the purple accents on the bracelet found around Vicki’s wrist, the keepsakes in her bedroom and the stories of selflessness that Vicki shares. “The impact of Nikki’s life lives on through her family and friends,” says Gift of Hope President/CEO Kevin Cmunt. “This is profoundly illustrated through Tanisha Basham, Vicki’s close friend, who received Nikki’s heart.”

Connections - A Lasting Legacy

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Tanisha Basham keeps Nikki Smith’s photo as a screensaver on her smartphone as a constant reminder of the person who gave her a second chance at life. Nikki saved the lives of four people as an organ donor.

Tanisha’s Story Tanisha, a 41-year-old mother of three from University Park, Ill., was the picture of good health. Her sunny disposition and radiant smile were a perfect match for her infectious zest for life. A supervisor at a local grocery store, Tanisha juggled her work and family lives with ease.

through her ailing body. Although she was still alive, Tanisha felt she wasn’t truly living. She couldn’t work, couldn’t care for herself and couldn’t care for her children. She desperately needed a heart transplant, but her frustration and worries grew as she spent 18 long months on the transplant waiting list without a match.

But in 2013, Tanisha noticed her energy levels weren’t what they used to be. Then she developed breathing problems.

Eventually, Tanisha’s health problems affected every aspect of her life and caught the attention of her manager. “I just couldn’t take a deep breath,” she explains.

That all changed with a single phone call in June of this year. Tanisha, who had just visited Vicki at Nikki’s bedside, received word from her sister that Vicki wanted her to have Nikki’s heart. “I was overwhelmed,” Tanisha recalls. “I told Vicki, ‘I can’t accept this.’ But she told me, ‘Tanisha, you’re like my sister. You’ll always have my baby with you.’”

At her manager’s urging, Tanisha made an appointment to see her doctor. Tests revealed she had congestive heart failure — the same condition that took her mother’s life at age 48. Even worse, her heart was functioning at only 25 percent of its capacity, which put her in the hospital multiple times and caused serious complications such as dangerous blood clots in her lungs and legs.

In December of that year, Tanisha was added to the heart transplant waiting list. During one of her many hospitalizations, her heart stopped beating three times.

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With little heart function of her own, Tanisha was given a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, that pumped blood

Tanisha was the first person Vicki thought of when trying to make some good come from Nikki’s death. “She has three of her own children who need their mother,” Vicki explains.

“She needs to be able to live her life.”

A Perfect Match Blood tests showed that Nikki’s heart was a perfect match for Tanisha, and she was admitted to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill., to prepare for transplantation surgery. As one mother was saying good-bye to her only child, another was preparing to undergo surgery so she could resume her role as mother to her own children.

kidneys in a second directed donation, an extreme rarity in organ donation cases.

“With Gift of Hope’s help, we made it possible for Tanisha to carry on my daughter’s legacy and be there for her children,” Vicki says. “I carried Nikki for nine months, and Tanisha’s going to carry her for the rest of her life.”

Gift of Hope unveiled the moving tragedy to triumph story of Nikki, Vicki and Tanisha at the launch of its Lasting Legacy campaign in October. The milestone event was attended by both families, Ill. Secretary of State Jesse White and representatives from Gift of Hope.

“Vicki and Nikki’s story was chosen to highlight the tremendous good that can come out of a tragic circumstance,” Shuck explains. “Lasting Legacy gives us the opportunity to share African-American stories of organ and tissue donation with the African-American community.”

Gift of Hope’s Lasting Legacy campaign aims to boost donor authorization rates among African-Americans by addressing the fears and misconceptions many African-Americans have about organ and tissue donation.

When Tanisha awoke after surgery, gone was the ever-present humming sound of the LVAD’s battery pack that she had grown accustomed to for more than a year. In its place was the beating sound of a young, healthy heart inside of her.

“I heard this pounding sound, and I asked what it was,” Tanisha recalls. “The doctor told me it was my new heart. It was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Right then, I knew that I was going to be OK. It was an amazing feeling.”

Two weeks later, Tanisha was back home with her family.

And as she continues to regain her strength today, she looks forward to resuming the many tasks her daughters took care of during her long wait for a heart. She also plans to cherish every moment as a mother, as a friend and as the keeper of Nikki’s lasting legacy.

“Nikki was someone I knew and loved personally,” says Tanisha’s daughter, Ashley. “If she were here today, I would tell her how much I love her. I would tell her thank you for saving my mom.”

Tanisha keeps Nikki’s photo as a screensaver on her smartphone as a constant reminder of who gave her a second chance at life. And when she goes to her frequent echocardiogram appointments, Vicki accompanies her so she can see her daughter’s heart beating in the body of her friend. “Tanisha always called my daughter ‘niecy-poo,’” Vicki recalls with a smile on her face. “I was truly grateful knowing she was a 100 percent match for Nikki’s heart.”

In all, Nikki saved the lives of four individuals as a donor, including another family friend who received one of her

To register as an organ and tissue donor, visit GiftofHope.org or LifeGoesOn.com.

Lasting Legacy: The Why The reality of organ and tissue donation in the AfricanAmerican community today is that more people receive than give. The diseases and conditions that can lead to the need for transplants are far more prevalent in minority populations, creating a critical need for this segment of society.

Gift of Hope recognizes and seeks to address this through its Lasting Legacy campaign. Here are several facts to know: • Minorities represent 63 percent of the people on the organ transplant waiting list in Illinois.

• African-Americans are at increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease — all of which can lead to organ failure and increase the need for organ transplants.

• Kidney failure occurs more frequently among AfricanAmericans than any other ethnicity. The nearly 31,000 African-Americans awaiting kidney transplants make up 34 percent of the people on the national kidney transplant waiting list.

• African-Americans make up about 12 percent of the total U.S. population, 29 percent of people waiting for organ transplants, 16 percent of all donors and 21 percent of all those who receive organ transplants.

Connections - A Lasting Legacy

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The Wait: Berwyn Woman Hopes Next Call Is “The One” Waiting is something Laura Barajas has become very good at. But not by choice.

Laura’s endless store of patience — and her faith in a brighter future — is borne of necessity.

A decades-long struggle with type 1 diabetes has slowly deprived the loving wife, sister and daughter of the things most of us take for granted: working, traveling and starting a family.

Fortunately, Laura, a Berwyn, Ill., resident, has help with cooking, cleaning and caring for herself. But they’re things she’d much rather do on her own someday — when she has the strength.

Three times in the last six years, complications of diabetes have placed the 36-year-old former bank supervisor on the waiting list for an organ transplant. In 2009, when her deteriorating health put her into kidney failure, she began dialysis treatments and faced the first of many waits, this one for a kidney transplant.

“I thought that was the end for me since, at that time, the waiting list for a kidney transplant was about five years,” she explains. But her brother, Raul, a marine, told her, “Don’t worry.

I’ve got your back.” In September of that year, he gave Laura a second chance at life as a living kidney donor.

“He gave me the most priceless gift in the world,” Laura says.

Tragically, three months after Raul gave Laura a new life, he lost his own when he was shot and killed.

But Raul’s selfless gift inspired Laura to share her story and encourage others to become organ and tissue donors. As a Gift of Hope Advocates for Hope volunteer and member of the organization’s Hispanic Hospitals & Community Council, Laura educates others about the need for organ and tissue donation.

Twice, Laura has received Gift of Hope recognition awards for her tireless outreach activities.

A year after her kidney transplant, Laura was put on the waiting list again, this time for a pancreas. In February 2011, she received a pancreas, and, for several years, she enjoyed improving health and continued her Gift of Hope outreach activities.

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Connections - The Wait

But a year ago, Laura developed a serious case of pneumonia that landed her in the hospital for two months. For a healthy person, pneumonia can be dangerous; for a transplant recipient, it can be devastating.

“It damaged both of my transplants,” she explains. To her dismay, Laura learned her transplanted organs were failing, with her new kidney functioning at barely 20 percent capacity. As a result, she resumed dialysis treatments and was put back on the waiting list for a kidney and pancreas transplant in March 2015.

Unfortunately, Laura faces new challenges. Because she previously received organs from two different donors, the risk of organ rejection is high for any new transplant. So Laura has to wait for a single, deceased donor to provide both organs. And the wait isn’t easy.

Despite her calm exterior, Laura is frequently gripped with panic attacks that leave her feeling like she’s having a heart attack, especially when she’s alone. Anti-anxiety medication helps calm her nerves while a regimen of other medications — as many as 30 pills a day — helps to support her failing organs.

Diabetes has also damaged her eyesight and resulted in many laser surgeries to preserve her failing vision. While she has adjusted by driving only during the day, she faces yet another health crisis — Charcot foot syndrome, a potentially limb-threatening complication of diabetes caused by nerve damage. For a while, Laura used a wheelchair to get around. Now she uses a cane or walker thanks to a special “astronaut” boot that supports her deteriorating foot.

The only effective treatment — foot surgery — is out of the question until Laura receives a kidney/pancreas transplant to sustain her. Even short road trips to visit friends are on hold for the foreseeable future. “I need to stay close to home,” she says.

“I never know if that’s the day they’re going to call me and tell me a donor has been found.”

Some days are harder than others, but, through it all, Laura hasn’t given up on the one thing that sees her through: hope.

She prays morning and night and keeps her Bible close at hand.

“I pray for myself to get the call, but I also pray for other people worse off than me,” Laura says. “I tell God, ‘Call them if they need it. I can survive with my 20 percent for now.’”

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HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE METRICS* Gift of Hope works in partnership with 180 hospitals and nine transplant centers to meet the ever-growing demand for donor organs and fulfill the organization’s vision — that every opportunity for organ and tissue donation is successful. Here’s a look at key donation performance metrics for Illinois and northwest Indiana hospitals that have had at least one organ donor during the period noted and the contributions these hospitals are making to give hope and life to others.

Hospital

Organ Donors

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital Advocate BroMenn Medical Center Advocate Christ Medical Center Advocate Condell Medical Center Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Advocate Sherman Hospital Advocate South Suburban Hospital Advocate Trinity Hospital Alexian Brothers Medical Center Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital Blessing Hospital Captain James A. Lovell VA Center Carle Foundation Hospital Centegra Hospital: McHenry Centegra Hospital: Woodstock Central DuPage Hospital Community First Medical Center Rush-Copley Memorial Hospital Delnor Hospital Edward Hospital Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Evanston Hospital Franciscan St. Anthony Health Franciscan St. Margaret Health: Dyer Franciscan St. Margaret Health: Hammond Glenbrook Hospital Gottlieb Memorial Hospital Holy Cross Hospital Ingalls Memorial Hospital John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County Kishwaukee Community Hospital Little Company of Mary Hospital & Health Care Loretto Hospital Loyola University Medical Center MacNeal Hospital

Donation Conversion Rate

Donation Authorization Rate

Timely Notification Rate

2 100 100 4 71 100 27 68 69 5 80 86 4 67 86 7 82 78 6 69 60 1 33 33 1 100 100 2 100 100 2 57 33 1 33 50 6 67 75 1 100 100 14 67 62 3 57 80 1 75 67 6 85 88 4 71 67 3 100 100 2 67 67 4 44 50 2 33 33 1 50 50 1 100 100 2 67 67 2 60 60 1 33 33 2 75 67 2 67 67 3 60 60 7 53 67 1 100 100 2 67 67 1 100 100 13 67 68 3 60 62

100 86 96 100 100 100 89 100 100 100 89 88 90 100 97 67 100 93 100 100 100 90 100 100 100 100 83 75 100 100 100 80 100 75 100 82 73

*Hospitals with at least one organ donor through 10/25/15. Note: Data subject to change due to Gift of Hope’s quality assurance process.

Connections - Hospital Performance Metrics

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HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE METRICS

Hospital

Organ Donors

Memorial Medical Center Methodist Hospital: Northlake Methodist Hospital: Southlake Metro South Medical Center Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center Northwest Community Healthcare Northwestern Memorial Hospital Norwegian American Hospital OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center OSF Saint Francis Medical Center OSF St. Joseph Medical Center Palos Community Hospital Presence Covenant Medical Center Presence Mercy Medical Center Presence Resurrection Medical Center Presence St. Francis Hospital Presence St. Joseph Hospital Presence St. Joseph Medical Center Riverside Medical Center Rockford Memorial Hospital Rush University Medical Center Saint Anthony Hospital Silver Cross Hospital Skokie Hospital St. Alexius Medical Center St. Bernard Hospital and Healthcare Center St. Catherine Hospital St. John’s Hospital St. Mary Medical Center Swedish Covenant Hospital UnityPoint Health: Methodist UnityPoint Health: Proctor UnityPoint Health: Trinity University of Chicago Medicine University of Illinois Hospital Vista Medical Center: East West Suburban Medical Center Total

Donation Conversion Rate

Donation Authorization Rate

Timely Notification Rate

1 44 50 2 80 100 2 50 50 2 67 100 9 64 64 2 67 67 8 67 64 2 40 67 4 100 100 32 75 76 2 100 100 1 25 33 1 100 100 1 100 100 2 33 29 4 57 50 1 33 50 7 71 69 2 50 40 6 71 67 15 55 55 3 100 100 6 89 88 1 67 50 2 43 33 1 100 100 1 50 100 7 71 71 3 50 75 4 67 71 3 100 100 1 100 100 1 50 NA 8 45 67 9 79 79 7 100 100 3 60 100 315 65% 67%

83 83 80 100 100 100 90 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 82 100 67 94 100 100 92 100 90 100 88 100 67 94 67 89 100 100 100 70 94 91 86 91%

Glossary of Terms Organ Donors Donors from whom one or more organs were recovered for the purpose of transplantation. This includes both donation after brain death, or DBD, donors and donation after circulatory death, or DCD, donors.

Donation Authorization Rate The rate at which authorization for donation is obtained, expressed as a percentage.

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Connections - Hospital Performance Metrics

Donation Conversion Rate The rate at which potential donors are converted to actual donors, expressed as a percentage.

Timely Notification Rate The rate at which hospitals contact Gift of Hope after a death or within one hour after an individual meets the criteria for imminent death and before the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies, expressed as a percentage.

STATE OF DONATION

2015 * 2014 *

% Change

Organ Donors

321

267

22.22%

Organs Transplanted

914

816

12.01%

Organs Per Donor

2.85

3.06

-6.83%

Tissue Donors

1,456

1,581

-7.91%

Bone Donors **

1,225

1,091

12.28%

Heart Valve Donors **

141

178

-20.79%

Skin Donors **

619

1,149

-46.13%

122,700* in U.S.

5,153* in Illinois 1,428* in Indiana

*Through Oct. 31 **Subset of Tissue Donors

The number of people waiting for heart, liver, kidney, lung, pancreas or small bowel transplants as of Oct. 31, 2015.

Illinois Organ & Tissue Donor Registry

5,891,986

* Based on data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network

As of Oct. 31, 2015

57% 300 22 Of adults (18 or older) in Illinois are registered as organ and tissue donors.

:10

Every 10 minutes, a new person is added to the national transplant waiting list.

In 2014, more than 300 people registered for transplants in Illinois died while waiting.

25

One donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 25 people.

An average of 22 people die each day while waiting for a transplant.

Make a Difference!

REGISTER TO BE AN ORGAN AND TISSUE DONOR

GiftofHope.org

Connections - State of Donation

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Indicia here 425 Spring Lake Drive Itasca, IL 60143

To learn more about organ and tissue donation, visit GiftofHope.org

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

Team Illinois Rallies for 2016 Transplant Games of America Gift of Hope hosted Team Illinois for a Nov. 8 kickoff event to rally the group’s participation in the 2016 Transplant Games of America to be held June 10 – 15 in Cleveland. The signature event of the team-building rally was just that — a signature event — as Team Illinois members signed the official flag of the 2016 TGA before it continued its trip across the country to be signed by other participating teams. The flag will then return to Cleveland where it will fly over the TGA’s main venue throughout the six-day event. The flag-signing marks the official start of fundraising and promotional efforts for the 2016 TGA. Visit Goteamillinois.org to learn more about Team Illinois and Transplantgamesofamerica.org to learn more about the 2016 TGA.

White Sox Recognize Gift of Hope at Summer Event The Chicago White Sox recognized Gift of Hope and its ongoing work to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation before and during the team’s July 31 game against the New York Yankees at U.S. Cellular Field.

More than 100 members of Team Hope and their family members and friends attended the summer outing and showed their purple pride by wearing something “Gift of Hope purple” to the game. Gift of Hope President/CEO Kevin Cmunt threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and several of the evening’s honorees got a chance to go on the field before the game. The Sox took it on the chin from the Yankees that evening, but Gift of Hope came out a winner in its efforts to raise public awareness of the importance of being a registered organ and tissue donor.